The 10th Night
by Trekiael
Summary: Wars change everyone. And two years after the last one, Byakuya notices the changes. Then again, maybe war is not the only responsible. Especially when it comes to Renji's strange behaviour.


**Disclaimer**: I own all of Soul Society and Hueco Mundo. Or not, most likely.

**Pairing**: Byakuya x Renji.

**Warning**: Sex and some cutting. Nothing angsty or anything, just toying a little...

I wrote this for Yzanmyo. Some of you might know her, she's overly famous around here XD We don't have many pairings in common, but we have this one. She showed me a fic that toyed with SM, and I wanted to try SM with these two, but my own way. It's not exactly SM though. Anyway, since I adore them, have had for years, really, but never tried to write about them, it was about time. Dunno if I did that good of a job with characterisation, though...

Whatever, Enjoy!

* * *

Byakuya leant against a lamppost, observing the two bickering ones a little farther away. He had no immediate duties to attend to, and this was not a bad way to pass the time. Alright, if he was perfectly honest, he would admit that there was something incredibly entertaining about watching these two interact.

Maybe he had changed. In a subtle way, one that only those closest to him would be able to recognize, he had loosen up. Not as uptight as he used to be, sometimes appreciating the small moments in life instead of controlling every single second of it. Certainly, this had been the influence of the several great wars, and Kurosaki Ichigo, whom had had an impact on everyone's life.

He was not the only one, though. Kurosaki himself had grown. There would be no changing in the appearances of the Shinigami, but he was different, wasn't he? Instead of becoming a full-fledge Shinigami, his stubbornness had taken act again, and he had stayed as a part-time one, choosing to stay on Earth. As such, after two years since the last great war, he had turned into an adult.

His looks, for one thing, were slightly different. Not really taller, just a little broader. His hair had grown back to the length it had reached before the final fight against Aizen, and apparently, this time he had decided to keep it that way. His fashion sense, if one could call it that, was as simple as ever, but more of a man than a teenager.

His personality was ever the same: Short-tempered and aloof, but brave and caring. Byakuya had unwillingly grown quite fond of him, as had everyone. However, if one looked closely, they would be able to see a shadow in his eyes that had never quite left him ever since Aizen. And that was what made the major difference. He was definitely more mature now.

As for his current nemesis, Renji, he had undergo some changes as well. Not in looks, though his hair was getting ridiculously long, and not much in personality, despite a certain maturity there as well, but in his behaviour, particularly toward Byakuya himself.

After everything they went through, Renji's bad blood against Byakuya had for the most part vanished. He still grimaced at his uptightness on occasions, but he smiled more than he frowned at him. This, Byakuya wasn't sure how to react to.

The sound of his name and Kurosaki's finger briefly pointing in his direction tore Byakuya out of his thoughts. Maybe it was time he put and end to this. Straightening up, he stepped toward the two, supposedly mature, idiots and cleared his throat.

"What is done is done, Kurosaki Ichigo. There is no need to dwell on it any further."

"Dw- Like hell! You know full well that I can handle one fucking hollow myself, not matter how big! Point is: You don't trust me !"

Byakuya understood that under the anger and resentment, it was hurt that made him speak. Old insecurities die hard, he supposed. And for some reason, he didn't want to be responsible for stirring them anew.

"You misunderstand. We did not come here to assist you. We came here because Ranji wanted to see how you were doing, and since you would be fighting, to see if you were as strong as ever."

He might as well have dropped a bomb, or state that he enjoyed dressing Renji up in pretty dresses from the look on their faces. Shocked, on Kurosaki's part, and horrified, on Renji's. As if he had stated something that was universally known as to be kept tightly under locks.

"Ha...I-I see...Well, thanks, I guess..."

Awkwardness would probably be the best word to describe the feeling hanging in the air right then. Byakuya didn't care for such trivialities, but Renji's red face told him it was not the same for him. Clearing his throat, Renji stepped toward Byakuya and grabbed his upper arm, a familiarity that their relationship had been completely void of until recently.

"OK! Well, since you're fine and all, we're leaving. See ya, dickhead!"

Before Kurosaki had a chance to answer, they were off.

Back in Soul Society, Renji stalked toward their headquarters with a frown.

"Just so you know, Captain, I don't care 'bout that asshole!"

"Why do you lie, Renji? You obviously do."

Renji turned toward him, as if offended.

"I don't! The only one I care about is Rukia! And y- Erm. Gotta go."

Byakuya didn't stop him. He was truly caught off guard himself. It was the second time Renji almost told him something without managing to finish. Only this time, Byakuya was able to fill in the blanks himself. Renji cared about him. He supposed it wasn't that surprising in itself, if pleasing to know, but the fact that he was ready to admit it to himself, at least, when he couldn't do the same for Kurosaki, showed the extent of his care.

It took the weirded out look from a passing Hitsugaya for Byakuya to realize he was smiling.

He didn't really see much of Renji for the next ten days. And each time he did, the stupid red-head talked as little as possible, and avoided eye-contact. It was different from before, devoid of animosity, but more annoying.

And Byakuya, in his immense patience, snapped on the 10th night.

That night, after his supper, instead of reading a book before heading to bed, he was walking into the night in the direction of Renji's room. It was a bit late for a social visit, but at least it wouldn't meddle with their duties, would the discussion turn longer than intended.

He barely paused for half a second in front of Renji's door before sliding it open.

"Renji. We need to-"

It was not often that Kuchiki Byakuya didn't finish a sentence. Even more rare did he interrupt himself. But even he was surprised by the sight he had stumbled onto. Renji was on the tatami, dressed only in a night yukata, sprawled on his back.

And touching himself.

Not for long, though, since the sound of Byukuya's voice finally registered to his brain (or, more accurately, Renji recognized it as the sound of the real Byakuya, not the one in his fantasy. But this, Byakuya would discover much, much later), was enough to make him freeze on the spot. With eyes as wide as saucers and his mouth gaping, he raised his upper body slightly, hand still between his legs but now unmoving.

"Re-"

Again, Byakuya didn't finish his sentence, because Renji had risen. At lighting speed. And ran into the opposite direction, out of his room. Or, would have ran out of his room if it hadn't been for the door he smashed head-first in, sending him sprawled on the floor again, this time groaning for a different reason.

Byakuya sighed and stepped toward him. Stopping beside his prone form, he bent his upper body slightly down and calmly asked:

"What are you doing?"

Renji looked at him as if he had a hallow on each shoulder, and answered with a long hesitation.

"...Running away...?"

They fell into silence after that and Renji sat down, crossing his legs and holding his head in his hands.

"Dammit Captain, I'm humiliated as fuck here."

"There is nothing unusual about masturbating, Renji. Especially since I know for a fact you are single. If anything, I should be apologizing for interrupting you. I should have warned you I was about to come."

During his speech, Renji had finally looked at him. And given him various looks in response to his words. First he had looked shocked, as if 'masturbating' was a forbidden word, as well as embarrassed. Then he had glanced away, probably unwilling to talk about his love life with him. Then he had relaxed when Byakuya had started apologising, only to, astonishingly, turn a vibrant shade of red at his last words.

"Just...Let's forget about it."

Byakuya nodded in answer, and Renji stood up.

"Tea?"

"If you don't mind, then please"

Renji nodded again and disappeared in the kitchen. Byakuya stayed behind, mulling on the conversation he was planning to have. He didn't feel like having it much anymore, since he didn't want to bother Renji more than he was already, but he couldn't avoid it any longer. And suddenly, he remembered that Renji was awful at making tea, and never drank any himself.

With a frown, Byakuya walked in the kitchen as well. Renji was there, looking down at the boiling water and tossing free amounts of leaves in it. Byakuya held back a grimace of disgust and stepped behind him. Renji was actually taller than he was, which made watching over his shoulder almost impossible, but he tensed like a small, fragile animal upon feeling Byakuya suddenly so close to him.

"As I thought. You have no idea how to make tea."

Renji said nothing. And didn't even move. Didn't relax, for that matter. Which Byakuya found strange. With a frown, he turned his head to the side to peer at Renji's face, only to see him with his eyes tightly closed and biting his lip so hard it threatened to tear. He was blushing, too.

Still frowning, Byakuya raised a hand and lightly grasped Renji's jaw, making him turn his head toward him, and open his eyes. They stayed like that for a long moment, Renji's pulse racing under Byakuya's fingertips. Finally, Byakuya retreated. He released Renji's jaw and took a step back.

"I see. So you are sexually attracted to me."

Renji's jaw dropped. He looked like he had been punched in the gut.

"Rest assured, there is nothing wrong with that. And you are far from being the first man to be attracted to me."

Byakuya paused, studying Renji. There was nothing remotely pretty about him. Even if he tried his hardest, he would never be able to pass for a woman. But he wasn't a bad-looking male. The tattoos were a bit much, although Byakuya was so used to them that he considered them to be part of what made Renji, and since he was quite fond of Renji himself, he couldn't bring himself to hate them.

"Understand that I find relationships between Captains and Vice-Captains a sore mistake to be avoided."

'However'...Because Byukuya was going to say it. Because the more he looked at Renji, the more he could picture himself taking his Vice-Captain right there, against that counter. He never felt a sexual desire as powerful, sudden and overwhelming as this one. He had always been tender to his wife. Renji, he wanted to dominate. There would be no pretty love-making this time.

"However, since your work is already affected by this..."

He didn't finish his sentence. He didn't need to. In one step he was right in front of Renji. In another one he was pressing him against the counter. Renji was still hard.

"W-wait, Captain! And what if I say no?"

"If you are going to, I would suggest you do it now, because I do not take kindly to being interrupted."

It was a lie, of sort. He probably wouldn't have made that big of a deal with his wife. He couldn't be gentle with Renji. Certainly that would never really change.

But Renji didn't say no, of course. When Byakuya reached up to the back of his head to pull off his hairtie before grasping a handful of hair and pushing his head down for a kiss, Renji willingly went along with it.

The kiss was not hesitant. They were not hesitant men, if they had at least one thing in common. It wasn't particularly violent, but it wasn't gentle either. Deep and lustful.

As they kissed, they started to peel each other's clothes off. They weren't wearing much, so it was quick business, though Renji's hands were slightly shaking. Once naked, Byakuya pressed forward, until their naked flesh was touching everywhere it could. Then he broke the kiss and spoke in a low, rough voice much unlike his own.

"Can I take you here, or should I take you to bed?"

It wasn't like him to make such a crude request, and even less like him to even think about doing something like this in a kitchen, of all places. He must have changed more than he thought. Renji must have thought so too, because he chuckled breathlessly.

"You can take me any damn where you fucking want, Captain."

That was all the invitation Byakuya needed. Briskly, he turned Renji around and pushed on his back, his chest now hovering right above the boiling water, no doubt the burning vapour scorching him. Neither cared.

Byakuya then stepped back, enjoying the view for a moment, before glancing around. Even if he did not care about being gentle, if they were to enjoy this, some sort of lubrication would be needed. Glancing around, he found nothing of interest, and so he went for the fridge. He studied various choices, and finally settled for the butter.

He had to wonder what was wrong with him, for he was going to fuck Renji in his own kitchen using butter as lubricant. And he had absolutely no problem with any of this, far from it.

The butter was soft, and melted easily on his fingers ans he rubbed in in his hand, all the while pressing his thumb against the inner side of one of Renji's cheek, spreading him a little. He started by rubbing the pads of two fingers over the hole, making Renji gasp and shiver. And then he inserted.

Renji was tight, so tight that he probably never did that before. So this would be a first for them both, Byakuya having never slept with a man. Still, despite the tightness, Renji didn't resist the intrusion, instead spreading his legs wider apart and bending his upper body further forward, moaning.

Again, Byakuya was not gentle in his preparation, but he took the time to do it properly. The butter worked well enough, and quite soon his fingers were thrusting in and out with ease. He was getting incredibly turned on himself. The heat of Renji's body, the sounds he made, the constricting feeling around his fingers followed by incredible smoothness... It took him a while to realize he was panting a bit.

"Ha...Ha...Ca-...Capt- ….'ain...m' G'na..."

Byakuya paid no mind to Renji's words, and so, was not exactly prepared for him abruptly tensing and crying as he spilled himself. Byakuya suddenly remembered that he had interrupted him earlier, and that he had probably been on the verge of coming since then.

Taking his fingers out of Renji's twitching hole, Byakuya asserted the situation. Fucking him right now would be useless, Renji appearing strengthless. For now, he would deal with it another way. Taking hold of Renji's shoulder, he forced the red-head up. However, the abrupt movement caused Renji's arm to smash into the boiling pot, sending it crashing onto the floor.

Again, neither cared, and Byakuya guided Renji on his knees in front of him, right in the middle of scalding water and broken shards. Renji went, panting and dizzy from his recent orgasm, but with an eager flame in his eyes. Byakuya didn't need to say a word, for as soon as he stepped in front of him, Renji was taking his entire length in his mouth.

Obviously, Renji had no experience in doing that kind of thing. But he was not shy, and as a fellow male, knew at least was was good and what wasn't. The fact that he had a big mouth was only a plus. Byakuya kept a strong grip in Renji's hair, pulling harshly at his scalp. He didn't need to guide him, for he had enough enthusiasm and was doing a damn fine job.

Byakuya closed his eyes and tilted his head back, allowing himself to get lost in the pleasure for once. Renji's tongue, pressing under his length, his smooth cheeks, encasing it, the back of his throat where the head would hit, his harsh pants, falling on the base. It was amazing. And the sounds, those dirty slurping sounds, they were far from turning him down.

Tightening his grip even more, he took control. Holding Renji's head in place, he snapped his hips forward and back, thrusting into his mouth like one would do a whore. His eyes were open now, and he watched as his length slid in and out of Renji's willing mouth. Finally, a tightening warned him of his oncoming orgasm. He let it, and when he burst, it was deep down Renji's throat, forcing him to swallow it all.

He stayed like that for a while, his length softening, until the wave of dizziness wedged away. And then, slowly, he withdrew. Renji stayed there, panting harshly, swallowing compulsively. When he raised his head, it was with a grin, albeit a tired one.

"Whoa, Captain, you're one hell of a dominating ass when you want to be."

If his voice hadn't sounded like sandpaper when saying that, Byakuya might have called him on his bad mouth. As it was, he just offered him a hand, which Renji took with a shake of his head and a chuckle. Once up, they were both able to see the extent of the damages on Renji's legs. Nothing remotely comparable to the kind of injuries he generally got into battle, but they still looked quite bad.

So they cleaned Renji's bruises and the kitchen, gathered their clothes, and headed for the bedroom.

After all, Byakuya was still planning on taking Renji before the sun was up.

And so, barely half an hour later, Renji found himself on his back, legs bent, the balls of his feet pushing into the mattress as he rolled his hips up. Laying in between his legs was Byakuya, who was holding himself up on his hands planted on each side of Renji's body, busy leaving a bright red mark on his neck while rolling his hips down.

This was foreplay, a return into the state of arousal for what would come. And just rubbing against each other like that, their slightly damp skin scorching them everywhere they touched, as well as the feeling of their hard lengths sliding against one other, the sounds, the smells...All of that would have been enough to get them off. But they were getting impatient, and broke off as if thinking as one.

Byakuya sat back on his haunches and Renji handed him the kitchen knife before turning around, on all four, legs spread wide to accommodate for the height difference. And also because, surprisingly, Renji was quite a good tease.

Byakuya looked down at the knife in his hand, then at Renji's skin. On their way out of the kitchen, Renji had grabbed it, and upon inquiry on Byakuya's part, had answered with a grin.

'Whatever you want, Captain !'

All the while lightly grazing it down the fragile skin of his neck, not piercing but leaving a red trail.

Suffice to say, Byakuya had not been able to say no to the invitation. How had Renji been able to understand the full extent of his kink when he was not aware of it himself was a mystery. Point was, Renji was willingly offering himself for a session of a very peculiar style.

Since it was a fairly large knife, Byakuya started not with a cutting, but a slapping. Using the side of the blade, he slapped it against Renji's butt cheek. Not too hard, a mere test on Renji's reaction, his own, and the knife itself. Then it did it again, and again, and again... until Renji's skin with bright red with marks that were clearly made with some kind of triangular object.

Byakuya stopped there with the spanking, earning a muffled protest from a very much aroused Renji, and leaned over his back. While Renji's ass was still in the air, his head now rested directly on the bed, his pants slightly muffled by the mattress.

They were both incredibly hard now, and, as he leant forward, his length nestled itself nicely between Renji's cheeks. It was a real torture to retrain himself from burying himself in. But first, he wanted to try something.

Holding his weight on one hand, he used the other to guide the knife across the length of Renji's long back, marking his skin with strokes that bled just the slightest bit. There would be no scar, but unless he went to the 4th division, he would keep them for a while. And Byakuya thought that:

朽

(Kuchi)

木

(ki)

白

(Byaku)

哉

(ya)

Looked fairly nice on Renji.

Now, however, it was time to get on with the real business.

Moving forward once more, he now rested his weight on both hands, one still holding the knife inches from Renji's face. Then he shifted his hips, and in one smooth motion, buried himself to the hilt. The action pulled a sharp cry from Renji's throat, and a strangled groan from his own.

Not wasting any more time, he started thrusting. Hard, deep, merciless thrusts that tore sounds of overwhelming pleasure out of Renji. He was not faring much better himself, his usually calm façade distorted by grimaces of pleasure, his pale skin flushed.

They moved in sync, bodies slapping against each other loudly. Their long hairs stuck to their now sweaty skins, the tips of Byakuya's tangling with Renji's own under. At one point, Renji started talking. Broken sentences that spurred Byakuya on.

"F- Fff...fuck ! Y-yes! Right here! D-damn! S-...So good! Argh ! C-captain! Yes! Yesssssss!"

Byakuya stayed silent himself. He was no good at dirty talk, and didn't even try. He much preferred to listen anyway. And Renji's voice in the mist of passion was quite arousing, especially mingling with the various sounds of sex.

A particularly rough thrust brought the knife too close to Renji's face, earning him a nice long scratch on his jaw, adding more blood to the sheets.

Byakuya felt is second orgasm of the evening rising, but he waited until Renji himself came. Which he did, hard, with a gargling groan of Byakuya's title. The Captain joined him soon after, spilling himself deep inside for the second time that evening.

For a while, they simply laid there, catching their breath. Finally, it was Renji who broke the silence.

"Say, Captain, you never told me what you wrote on my back."

"Kuchiki Byakuya"

"Hm?"

"This is what I wrote."

Renji was silent after that, and Byakuya turned to look at him. Renji looked surprised, but when their eyes met, he broke into a grin then laughed.

"Whoa. Nice. Didn't know you had it in you!"

Byakuya chose not to comment, and instead asked his own question.

"You never told me what you wanted to, either."

He didn't specify when, because Renji had to know.

"Ha, it's, erm, nothing."

"If it caused you to avoid me for 10 days, I would hardly call that 'nothing'"

"..."

"You know, Renji, you do not have to be ashamed of caring about people. I am quite fond of you myself. Always have, really, despite everything."

Byakuya turned to look at Renji again, this time finding him bright red.

"Whoa, Captain, you say the corniest shit."

But he looked happy, and that made Byakuya smile a little.

"And you're lying. 'Cause, you know, you tried to kill me and shit. I'm pretty sure you hated my guts back then."

"This and that are irrelevant. I never lie, and you know it."

Renji simply laughed.

Against all odds, after this, Renji did become more open about his feelings. Still awkward like a kid, but he was able to admit it. His ultimate test, though, was this one.

"So, there, you know, you annoy the fuck outta me, but I still think that, well, you're a cool dude and shit, like, a friend, or something..."

Kurosaki Ichigo looked like he didn't know how to answer to that. Actually, he had been giving them weird looks ever since they arrived.

"Hum, thanks, I guess. I mean, I guess I kinda like you too, but..."

"But?"

"You're not, trying to drag me into a threesome, right?"

"Huh?"

The pause was pregnant. Kurosaki turned his head to the side and rubbed his neck, face a little warm.

"Well, I've been sensing Byakuya's reiatsu on you ever since you came, and, well, since it's reiatsu, it's not just something you rub on someone with a handshake, so..."

This situation was turning awkward for all of them. They stayed silent for a while until Renji snapped his head toward Kurosaki.

"Wait! So just because we, well, we. You think that I wanna have a threesome with you?"

"Well I don't know! You came here all reiatsu-smelly and shit and you're like, confessing to me or something!"

"...Dude. That's gross."

"...Hell yeah."

"I am not against the idea."

They both turned to look at Byakuya with twin expressions of horror. Byakuya stared back with a blank face, and, after a while, let a tiny smile grace his lips.

"I was joking."

Yes, they all had changed through war, but now it seemed there would be other factors making them change.


End file.
